Award-winning author mixing the hot, fast, and the edgier side of romance

Left Behind (Abducted Hearts #1) by Douglas Black

Left Behind is an MM erotic romance set in the Scottish Highlands. It is the first book in my new Abducted Hearts series that is being released as part of Loose Id Publishing’s Three for the Holidays range. Book Two, Highland Gathering, is coming soon and the final installment, Haunted Heart will release in February!

Stewart is instantly attracted to Gary, but he isn’t sure he’s ready to date again. Gary wants Stewart, but he doesn’t think Stewart will stick around when he finds out the secret Gary is hiding.

Faced with the prospect of spending Christmas alone with his daughter, Havana, in the house he used to share with his husband, widower Stewart Robertson heads north to a campsite in Glen Coe in the Scottish Highlands. There, he meets Gary James, an American parapsychologist with beliefs very different to Stewart’s own.

The sexual attraction is instantaneous, and overwhelming, and when Gary asks Stewart to spend Christmas with him and his friends in Fort William, Stewart agrees. Knowing next to nothing about each other, the two quickly start a physical relationship.

Stewart, emotional, angry and still reeling from the recent death of his husband, doesn’t know if he’s ready to start dating again, but he can’t deny that he wants Gary, a man who is keeping a secret that threatens to derail any chance of a happy ending before they even get started.

That threw Stewart off his stride. He fought the urge to roll his eyes. “Who are you camping with?”

“My uncle.”

“Then yes, it would be easier to tell your uncle. I thought he was your dad.”

“No. My dad’s in Iraq.”

Right. So not much point calling him, then, Stewart thought. He never had been good at understanding the way children’s minds worked.

Instead of admitting that, Stewart gestured for Lucas to go. He took Havana inside to get ready, and when he emerged from the kata, Lucas’s uncle was taking up far too much room on the decking outside, armed with two camping chairs and a cooler.

“Snacks,” he said in an American accent Stewart didn’t even try to place. He flashed Stewart a blinding smile, his height forcing Stewart to look up at him.

He transferred the cooler and folded camping chairs into one hand before extending the free one for Stewart to shake. Stewart did and earned another of those jolts of attraction. It was worse the second time around, with the skin contact and that dark, intense gaze on him. The man’s hands were big, his grip strong, but his skin was soft. Warm. Stewart cleared his throat.

“Gary,” the man said.

Stewart knew he was staring, not letting go of Gary’s hand. The man’s height and build and presence made Stewart feel like he was caught in a tractor beam, frozen in place and rendered incapable of movement or speech. But inside, Stewart’s mind was racing a million miles an hour. He was chastising himself in no uncertain terms for behaving as he was. For feeling the way he was. For even noticing how much stronger Gary was compared to him, and for remembering Gary naked earlier that morning and wishing he had stayed longer.

Already it felt like an imperfect memory. Hairy chest, muscular body, impressive cock. He was mad at himself for focusing on the latter. For immediately fixating on how much he wanted to fuck. Get fucked. Even just be held in strong arms, feel that smile directed at him from someone who clearly thought there was still stuff worth smiling about. Because it didn’t seem to matter how much time Stewart spent with Havana, how tightly he hugged her, and how much he worried about her, he was lonely. So lonely, sometimes he wondered if he was going to die from it. And that was a drama-queen thought by anyone’s standard, but sometimes it was true. It was like the pain. A seemingly endless state from which there was no escape.

“Now, back in the States, this is the point where the other person gives their name.”

Stewart crashed back to reality in time to jerk his hand out of Gary’s. He took a deep breath. This is the part where you decide I’m batshit crazy and should in no way be allowed near either you or your son. Nephew. Whatever.

“Stewart,” he managed. “Sorry, my brain’s away with the fairies.” Wasn’t that the truth?

Gary flashed him another smile, and Stewart had to take a step back. He shook his head, forced a laugh, then said, “I haven’t been sleeping. Hence coming here to get away from it all, but that hasn’t worked either. My head’s not in the game. This is Havana. Your nephew’s been doing a great job keeping her entertained all morning.”

“So I’ve been told.” Gary turned his attention to Havana, allowing Stewart the opportunity to give the man another once-over.

Baggy waterproof trousers, expensive walking boots, and a quality branded outdoor jacket. Gary looked every inch like he belonged in the great outdoors, with the exception of the black T-shirt with luminous green alien face and the writing The Truth is Out There picked out in silver underneath. People tended to wear their oldest, least-favorite clothes when there was a chance of them getting muddy, Stewart reasoned. He turned his thoughts back to Gary, who was calling Havana a little lady and offering her a bow.

“I hear we’re off to do some exploring by the river, maybe see if we can rent some bikes?” Gary said when he straightened.

The bikes were a new addition to the plan. It seemed Lucas made things up as he went along. Or waited until he had initial approval before adding additional details.